DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-050, March 21, 2005
Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com
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NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1267:
Tue 0700 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5
Tue 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours
Wed 1030 WOR WWCR 9985
Wed 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours
Mon 0430 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910
MORE info including audio links: http://worldofradio.com/radioskd.html
WRN ON DEMAND:
http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24
OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]
WORLD OF RADIO 1267 (high version):
(stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1267h.ram
(download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1267h.rm
WORLD OF RADIO 1267 (low version):
(stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1267.ram
(download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1267.rm
(summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1267.html
WORLD OF RADIO 1267 in the true shortwave sound of 7415:
(stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_03-16-05.m3u
(d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_03-16-05.mp3
CONTINENT OF MEDIA 05-03 via DXing.com:
(stream) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0503.ram
(download) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0503.rm
(summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0503.html
** ASIA [non]. From A.J. Janitschek of Radio Free Asia: RFA`s
Technical Operations Division is proud to announce the release of the
company`s fifth QSL card. Scheduled for distribution between March 1
to March 31, 2005 this QSL Card commemorates the 18th Annual Winter
SWL Festival held in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania USA and RFA`s
participation in the Winter SWL Festival. The convention is the
largest gathering of listeners to the radio spectrum --- long wave,
medium wave, shortwave (broadcast, utilities, pirates), VHF/UHF, FM,
scanners, television and satellites --- in the United States. About
200 persons from around the world attend each year. Broadcaster
representatives, clubs, and vendors are always in attendance. Next
year`s festival is schedule for March 5-6, 2006; the 20th Annual
Winter SWL Festival will be March 9-10, 2006. For more information
about the annual Winter SWL Festival, visit http://www.swlfest.com/
(Use of the SWL Fest logo provided as a courtesy of Tom Sundstrom.)
Reception reports are valuable to radio stations like RFA. They help
us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions.
Radio stations, like RFA, usually confirm accurate reception reports
by mailing a "QSL Card". To make the best of changing propagation
conditions, RFA rotates frequencies during different seasons to
maintain the best possible coverage. As a shortwave broadcaster
Reception Reports are an important factor to us in the determining the
best frequencies to use to reach our target audience.
RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at
http://www.techweb.rfa.org/ (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only
from DXers but from its general listening audience as well. For anyone
without Internet access, reception reports should be mailed to:
Reception Reports
Radio Free Asia
2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20036
United States of America.
Upon request, RFA will also send a copy of the current broadcast
schedule and a sticker (Andrew "A.J." Janitschek, Radio Free Asia,
NASWA Flashsheet March 20 via DXLD) Transmitter sites? Forget it
** BELGIUM. Be sure to listen to the final RVi Radio World (17 minutes
combined with the mailbag show) including SWL Fest material,
interviews with Ian McFarland, Bob Zanotti, maybe gone after 1 week:
http://www.rvi.be/rvi_master/uk/radio_world/index.html [excerpts:]
And now it's time for the combined last editions of B1043 and Radio
World. It goes without saying that it's not without emotion that I
embark on this part of the programme. After so many years, we've come
to the end of answering your letters and reception reports, and
reporting on shortwave and dx news.
First of all, the entire Flanders Today team would like to thank you
for your loyalty, your friendship and the many encouraging letters
you've been sending us over the years. Also, and in particular, those
of you who have expressed sadness at the news of our disappearance and
supported us until the very end. To no avail, as it happens, but
still, your backing was much appreciated.
Swiss Radio International has closed down its shortwave service and is
now part of the website "Swissinfo". This is a bit like what is going
to happen to us: starting in April, the Flanders Today team will be
providing a comprehensive internet news service with lots of
information about Flanders and Belgium. You will be able to access the
service by going on line to http://flandersnews.be
The service will also be available via our existing website rvi.be
After the disappearance of Flanders Today at the end of March several
times a day an English news bulletin will be available on RVi.
And that's it for this week. Thank you for listening, not only today,
but all the times you have joined us for Flanders Today. Special
thanks from me to all friends of Radio World. The last edition of
Flanders Today will be broadcast on Saturday 26 March, that's with
Paul Rans, and the very last song Paul will be playing in Music from
Flanders is one of his own, and he will sing it himself. It's
appropriately entitled: Ick seg adieu, I say adieu. The very last
broadcast of that Saturday programme is on Sunday at 0500 UTC from
Bonaire. Bye for now, and once again: thanks a lot! FRANS VOSSEN
Listen to Radio World [link] (via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** BOLIVIA. 4899.94, Radio San Miguel, 1034-1045 March 21. Pack your
bags, Radio San Miguel is moving again. With usual programs of Spanish
comments by a man with music. Signal was at a good level during the
listening period. Previously heard on 4902 the other day (Chuck
Bolland, Clewiston, Florida
http://www.orchidcitysoftware.com/IMAGE40.HTML DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Re 5-049: Hi Glenn, WHY PERU ???? is Bolivia also in the original
message of Schnitzer ``** PERU. 4900.1, R San Miguel, March 16th,
0200, station closing down, address, fax- number, national anthem (QSY
from 4903); O=3 (Michael Schnitzer, et al., Denmark, HCDX via DXLD)``
(Dario Monferini, Italy, DX LISTENING DIGDEST)
Oops! I was wondering what became of that item I wanted to match with
Bolland`s previous report (gh)
** BOTSWANA [non non]. Received a VOA QSL (with calendar and schedule
and pen) today for a report of 26th February 2005 (1817-1837 UT) -
this has to be the best response I have had from VOA - sent report via
email. The site is given as São Tomé but with question marks against
it and they have also written "OR 1917 - 1937 4940 kHz". Signed by J.
Brodin ? I also checked 4940 at the time so I know I was on 4930 kHz.
DXLD and EiBi list this as Botswana so I wonder if the people at VOA
have not been provided with the correct details yet (Wayne Bastow,
Australia, March 21, ARDXC via DXLD)
** BRAZIL. De terças a sábados universais, a Rádio Gazeta, de São
Paulo (SP), transmite, entre 0200 e 0300, o Jornal da Gazeta
Universitária. É um espaço produzido pelos alunos da Faculdade Cásper
Líbero. Pode ser sintonizado em 5955 e 9685 kHz (Célio Romais, Brasil,
Panorama, @tividade DX March 20 via DXLD)
** CANADA. I've just scanned thru the recent DXLD postings and found
the BBC and RN new-sked info, but I haven't found data about the
changes to RCI's frequencies and program lineups. I looked over on the
RCI website and couldn't find it there. A limited subset of upcoming
changes was announced on this past weekend's "Maple Leaf Mailbag" but
I couldn't get it all scribbled down in time and it was just rattled
off once, but that means that they DO have the new info *somewhere*.
Anybody have pointers to the data? (Will Martin, MO, March 21, dxldyg
via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
RCI English A05 for the Week of Confusion only, excerpted and edited
by gh from a complete PDF schedule --- Altho I have not inspected the
sked effective April 3, it is likely to be much the same except for
USA/Caribbean broadcasts shifting one UT hour earlier
A05 (Week) Broadcast Schedule for Radio Canada International
Effective March 27th (07:00 UTC) to April 3rd, 2005 (07:00 UTC)
UTC / SITE / FREQUENCY / kW / AZIMUTH / TARGETS / PROGRAMS
1200-1259 YAM 9660 100 270 Asia / China
YAM 15170 300 235
MON: Writers & Company
TUE: The Wire
WED: Night Time Review / Wire Tap
THU: Global Village
FRI-SAT: Night Time Review
SUN: Quirks & Quarks
1300-1559:30 SAC 9515 100 268 Central and Eastern USA / Cuba / Haiti
SAC 13655 250 240
SAC 17820 100 189
MON-THU: The Current / Sounds Like Canada / Outfront
FRI: The Current / Sounds Like Canada / C'est la Vie
1300-1329 YAM 9660 100 270 Asia / China
YAM 15170 300 235
MON: Spotlight
TUE: Media Zone
WED: The Maple Leaf Mailbag
THU: Spotlight
FRI: Business Sense
SAT: Scitech File
SUN: Business Sense
1400-1659 SAC 9515 100 268 Central and Eastern USA / Cuba / Haiti
SAC 13655 250 240
SAC 17820 100 189
SAT: The House / Vinyl Café / Quirks & Quarks
SUN: The Sunday Edition
1500-1557 KUN 11675 500 283 India
RMP 15360 500 90
URU 17720 500 212
MON: Canada Today / Media Zone RCI-1
TUE: Canada Today / The Mailbag
WED: Canada Today / Spotlight
THU: Canada Today / Business Sense
FRI: Canada Today / Scitech File
SAT: Business Sense / Scitech File [again, already?]
SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag / Spotlight
1800-1859 WER 9530 250 150 Sub-Saharan Africa
KAS 9780 100 239
WER 13730 250 165
SKN 15255 250 180
KAS 15420 100 239
MON: Canada Today / Media Zone RCI-3
TUE: Canada Today / The Mailbag
WED: Canada Today / Spotlight
THU: Canada Today / Business Sense
FRI: Canada Today / Scitech File
SAT: Business Sense / Scitech File
SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag / Spotlight
2000-2259 SAC 17835 250 240 South East USA / Cuba / Haiti
MON-FRI: The Roundup / The World at Six / As It Happens
SAT: Definitely Not the Opera
SUN: Tapestry / Cross Country Checkup
2000-2059 HBY 5850 350 245 Europe
SKN 11765 300 110
SAC 15325 250 60
MON: Canada Today / Media Zone RCI-1
TUE: Canada Today / The Mailbag
WED: Canada Today / Spotlight
THU: Canada Today / Business Sense
FRI: Canada Today / Scitech File
SAT: Business Sense / Scitech File
SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag / Spotlight
2230-2259 SOL 1179 300 MW Northern Europe
MON-FRI: Canada Today
SAT: Media Zone
SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag
2230-2259 KIM 9525 100 225 China
KIM 9870 100 305
YAM 12035 300 235
MON: Media Zone CTSS
TUE: The Maple Leaf Mailbag
WED: Spotlight
THU: Business Sense
FRI: Scitech File
SAT: Media Zone
SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag
A05 (Week) Broadcast Schedule for Radio (Digital Radio Mondial - DRM)
1300-1330 FLE 7240 40 123 Central & Eastern Europe ENGLISH MP3
MON: Spotlight
TUE: Media Zone
WED: The Maple Leaf Mailbag
THU: Spotlight
FRI: Business Sense
SAT: Scitech File
SUN: Business Sense
2100-2200 SAC 9800 70 268 Northeast United States
MON: Canada Today / Media Zone
TUE: Canada Today / The Mailbag
WED: Canada Today / Spotlight
THU: Canada Today / Business Sense
FRI: Canada Today / Scitech File
SAT: Vinyl Café
SUN: Writers & Company
Transmitter Sites /
ASC: ASCENSION ISLAND
KIM: KIMJAE, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
SOL: SÖLVESBORG, SWEDEN
DHA: DHABAYYA, U.A.E.
MOS: MOSBRUNN, AUSTRIA
VOL: VOICE OF LEBANON
FLE: FLEVO, THE NETHERLANDS
RMC: RADIO MONTE CARLO
WER: WERTACHTAL, GERMANY
HBY: HOERBY, SWEDEN
RMP: RAMPISHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
WOF: WOOFERTON, UNITED KINGDOM
KAS: KASHI, CHINA
SAC: SACKVILLE, CANADA
XIA: XIAN, CHINA
SKN: SKELTON, UNITED KINGDOM
YAM: YAMATA, JAPAN
Issued on March 14th, 2005. This schedule subject to change without
notice (via Bill Westenhaver, RCI, via Richard Cuff, exerpted by gh
for DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA [and non]. Re 5-049: There are ten SCTV DVDs available. The
"extras" on them are well worth it (Jeff Kadet, IL, WTFDA via DXLD)
** CANADA [and non]. Rock Radio Scrapbook Airchecks: Goodbyes
http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/goodbye.html
(via Pete Kemp, NRC-AM via DXLD) Numerous US & Canadian stations
** CHINA. Voice of Strait(s), 4940, e-mail acknowledgment from
Jacqueline, hua_diao @ hotmail.com that she and her partner Gary are
both happy to learn I like their program, ``Focus on China,`` ``and
later, we will send you a card which can represent you are our
listener. Finally, thanks for listening!`` In 18 days for an English-
Chinese report and $2 (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, NRD545, with T2FD
antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
4940, Voice of the Strait & China Huayi Broadcasting Corp., are both
produced in studios of the Ministry of Defense in Fuzhou. In some
sources, CHBC is sometimes referred to as a "private" station, which
is not correct. The PRC does not allow private ownership in
broadcasting. Re 4940, WRTH 2005 lists this as 15 kW xmtr in Fuzhou
for the Voice of the Strait, used during winter time only (Bernd
Trutenau, Lithuania, DX-plorer via DXLD)
CHBC is on 4830 in the winter and moves to 6185 for summer months.
They have no English that I'm aware of. Voice of the Straits IDs as
such on their weekend English broadcdast on 4940 at 1430-1500. They do
not appear to have an English prrgram on weekdays (but I haven't
checked every day of the week). Bernd's info correlates with the fact
that all the non-"PBS" stations along China's east coast are actually
PLA stations broadcasting to Taiwan (Voice of Pujiang, Shanghai; Voice
of the Straits; CHBC; etc.). In general, PBS stations are political/
government media, whereas PLA stations are part of PLA's psychological
operations specifically targeted to Taiwan (Bruce Churchill, CA, Dx-
plorer via DXLD)
** CHINA. Re 5-049: It is a trend however, in my view, CRI reports
this to an international audience as it knows that we are aware of
them through our free media but, if you listen to their features
carefully, they always come to the conclusion that the Chinese
Communist Party system will solve all these problems. It's a classic
propaganda technique. I would contend that the system is the major
cause of the problems.
The Communist Party internal media sources don't cover them in the
same way CRI does. There is some mention in Communist Party Congress
statements because they are worried about the internal unrest. There
is a growing independent media within China, which is operating
without Communist Party subsidies, and it is criticising particularly
the actions of local officials, but these journalists are still
severely restricted by the nature of the Chinese State Constitution.
If they cross the line they get arrested.
For "CRI seems to believe" substitute "the Chinese Communist Party
seems to believe", CRI's global propaganda mission is contained in
their Party Congress reports. They have more problems politically
getting 24 hour FM relays in overseas cities so they are making best
use of the distribution methods they have at their disposal (Mike
Barraclough, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Mike, For one thing, I don't think that CRI and the Chinese Communist
Party are one and the same. This starts to veer into a geopolitical
discussion, but I would observe that the same views that you expressed
here were once widely held of other one-party states. As much as these
states appear to be monolithic, there are very real fault lines and
fissures in their seemingly brick like authority. The situation in
China is very complex and multi-layered. The economic liberalization
there and the rise of an extremely viable (economically) and demanding
(politically) middle class is working changes to that country that are
real and lasting.
Yes, those in power are seeking and using all the means at their
disposal to stay there. Some of that is due to fear of what happens if
central authority pulls back too far or collapses entirely. But forces
like the ones being unleashed in China cannot ultimately be contained.
Change is coming and -- if you listen astutely as we used to during
the Cold War -- you can hear it happening, even on CRI. If the Chinese
leadership is astute, it will change with it. Whether it is or not,
we'll have to wait and see (John Figliozzi, ibid.)
``For one thing, I don't think that CRI and the Chinese Communist
Party are one and the same.``
Oh? New director is a stalwart party man from SAFRT. Some of the staff
care about CCP, many don't. However they have to, in news sources, use
the Xinhua (New China) News Agencies redigests of Associated Press,
UPI etc. reports. (Have you seen that Xinhua is the most common
source, even in English language, of news stories in Google?) All
media is part of the Propaganda (3. Roman Catholic Church A division
of the Roman Curia that has authority in the matter of preaching the
gospel, of establishing the Church in non-Christian countries,....) or
Party Discipline section. I've had reports from staff of long delays
in items while they waited for the 'party line' as we might call it
before making a simple announcement (Nobel prize for literature to a
Chinese, for example). External reports not playing on China are more
open. But everyone, even in China, can read around gaps and who, what,
where in domestic reports. This is more difficult in the U.S.A. where
the Fox news monopoly has no competitors ;-) (Dan Say, BC, swprograms
via DXLD)
I really like that we are having a robust discussion on this list
again -- even though it seems I might be losing the argument. :-))
But, Dan, are you saying that the trends aren't toward more open
speech in China and that the organs once tightly controlled by the
Party are starting -- certainly very slowly -- to work away from those
strictures? I ask – respectfully -- because you are bound to have
greater insight into this than me (John Figliozzi, ibid.)
It's a Government broadcaster, they fund it and give it its mission,
and the use of all distribution services for its mission was part of a
Party directive which is why my contention is the words are
interchangeable in the sentence of yours I quoted. I would suspect its
structure is similar to that of Soviet era Eastern European
international broadcasters staffed by both Communist Party Officials
and journalists. Here is a report I carried in the January 2002 DX
News column I edit for World DX Club Contact:
``CHINA Chinese Communist Party propaganda chief Dian Guangen has
called on China Radio International, when speaking at its 60th
anniversary celebrations, to become more competitive, speed up reform
and raise its international profile. Convergence and technological
innovation, Ding said, were vital for CRI's survival as an
international broadcaster. Therefore, Ding said CRI should integrate
its shortwave, mediumwave, FM and online services. Ding stressed that
CRI's main role was to promote "positive propaganda" about China and
serve as a mouthpiece of the party and the people (New China News
Agency via DXLD)
I am so disappointed. I thought it was a genuine friendly station.
From the above (DXLD also printed the full speech) we now know it is
admittedly nothing but a propaganda outlet of the party (Glenn Hauser,
DXLD)``
I have traced the original long speech which is in DXLD 1-192
available at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/dxld1192.txt
(Mike Barraclough, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Re BBC vs. CRI: Personally, the reason I listen to the BBC is its
feature programming and NOT the news. If CRI would hire away all the
BBC feature-program preparers (which seem to be independent
subcontractors these days anyway) and start up a 24-hour SW service
and air the same programs I now listen to the BBC for (Science In
Action, Discovery, One Planet, Music Review, and the like) at times I
want to hear them, I could care less if the newscasts are pro-Beijing-
slanted and if each program begins and ends with "Greater Glory to the
Central Committee!" chanted by the announcers! I'd be listening to CRI
and ignoring what was left of the BBC, unless I had some particular
reason to hear British-local news items (which themselves are
harder and harder to find on the BBC anyway!). (Will Martin, MO,
ibid.) See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM below
** COLOMBIA. 5910, Marfil Stereo 88.8, 0720-0745, de nuevo muy buenas
condiciones hoy día 21 para escuchar esta emisora, programa musical,
con canciones colombianas, rancheras y otro tipo de canciones
mexicanas, anuncios comerciales e identificación entre canciones:
"Marfil Stereo 88.8, la frecuencia de todos", "Marfil Stereo, al
servicio de la comunidad". 24322 variando a 34333. (Marzo 21). (Manuel
Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CZECH REPUBLIC [and non]. I notice R. Prague coming through on
6200, which I've never received them on before. Usually, if at all
lately, it's on 7345. But I've noticed some activity picking up on 49
and 41 mbs (Eric Bryan, WA, March 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** DJIBOUTI. Hi Glenn, here's a very nice one: Today, March 18th, from
1725 onwards I heard R. Djibouti on 4780 in Münster, North-West
Germany with O=2-3. Heavy QRM sometimes from utility and numbers
stations. Best in USB. A selection of East African music and talk in
unknown languages. Closedown at 2002 with national anthem, identified
as Djibouti`s by Wolf-Dieter Behnke, thanx (Thorsten Hallmann,
Münster, Germany, http://africa.coolfreepage.com/africalist DX
LISTENING DIGEST) This was delayed as it went to my hotmail address
Hi All: As per Guy Atkins HOT DX tip, Djibuti is now on SW, 4780 kHz
// 1539 MW, not // 1170 MW, heard 1945, Sunday March 2005 with a huge
signal into central Somalia, SINPO: 5,5,4,4,4+, 100% copy on excellent
audio. What I heard was a long commentary in Afar on the pending
disarming of the 6 "WAR LORDS" holding Mogadishu and Somalia hostage,
6 divisions of crack Sudanese, Ugandese and Ethiopian troops will be
in Mogadishu May 15. Then OM with Arabic greetings and closing
announcements 4780 off at 2003, 1539 off at 2006. Heard 4780 this AM,
0427 with no // MW. The languages in Djibuiti are French (official),
Afar, Arabic and Somali. Thanks to Guy Atkins WA USA! 73.
(Joe Talbot VA6JWT, 6O0JT (6 Oscar Zero JT). Home: Red Deer, Alberta,
Canada. N: 52-16-18 W: 113-48-46. Grid: DO32cg. Currently: Africa.
6O0JT Rx: Rockwell Collins HF-2050. JRC NRD 535D Kiwa Mods. Sony ICF
2010 Kiwa Mods. TCVR: Icom IC-706 MkIIG. Antennas: Beverage Array.
Random Wires. Wellbrook K9AY. George Maroti K9AY. Phasing With MFJ
1026. High Sierra 1800 Pro/Outback Outpost. Various HF/VHF/UHF Beach
Verticals. Icom AH-4 Auto Tuner, March 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
4780, 0300-0400, RTD Djibouti, Mar 20. Nice music at sign-on, possible
IS and then to a male announcer in Arabic with long talks, after
Qur`an. Possible news items. Then to music program at 0310 or so. At
0330 a mention of Djibouti heard from male announcer. Announcer very
fast talker. Frequent mentions of Israel thru news items. S8 signal
level at tune in. Mentions of George Bush and Iraq heard at 0335. Much
time talking about Iraq in the news cast. Music at 0341 after ending
of news cast. Again, Djibouti mentioned at 0341. S7 level at this time
with some fades but still very audible. A bit of a surprise to hear
this one. Not sure when I last heard this station. Taped. Possible IS
at TOH, then to female announcer with news items. Losing it at this
point. Qur`an at 0401. S4 level. Some QRM on occasion (Bob Montgomery,
PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD)
Strong carrier came on at 0245 Mar 19, programming started at 0300
with Horn of Africa music, ID in what appeared to be Somali ("Halkani
. . . R. Djibouti"), several mentions of "Somali," into prayers. ID
for R. Djibouti 0310, talk, many mentions of Islam. HoA music from
0320, news 0331, into music again 0338. Brief announcement by man at
0400, "Salaam Aleikem" by woman 0401. Signal started deteriorating
noticeably after 0345, but was still easily audible at 0405 tune-out.
Some rumbling behind the signal, which increased as signal weakened.
Audio very good, but I did notice some very slight overmodulation at
times. Tnx Makelainen & Bueschel tips (Jerry Berg, MA, DXplorer via
DXLD)
0253-0345 Mar 19, tone to 0300, then s/on routine, but did not manage
to hear ID; Qu'ran followed at 0302; Arabic-speaking man at 0310 with
talk and what seemed to be a long list of names or items; nice HoA
music followed to 0330, then talk, sounding like nx. Deteriorated
slowly after 0320 or so; finally tuned out at 0345. Fairly good
signal, with slight splatter from a strong Spanish station on 4781.9,
presumably the Guatemalan. Nice to have this back on SWBC. Never
logged this country before on SWBC, although I do have QSLs from
Djibouti hams and ute stns. How long have they been off of SWBC? (John
Wilkins, CO, ibid.)
** ECUADOR. A-05 V. of Vietnam schedule shows offshore relays
continuing, via Canada, Australia [sic], and the UK, including
Moosburnn [sic], Australia [sic], 9725 1700-1900 to Europe (Bob
Padula, EDXP Report on HCJB DX Partyline March 19, notes by gh for DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
I assume Bob knows the difference between Australia and Austria,
unlike Jeff Ingram, reader of the EDXP feature on DXPL. Ingram`s
ignorant mistakes are becoming legendary, but he blithely continues to
make them without consequence or subsequent correxion; does Allen
Graham not notice, or not care either? See also GERMANY [non] (Glenn
Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
HCJB`s new language Cofán, for a tribe in NE Ecuador, is daily 1100 UT
[until 1130??] on 6050, immediately following a half-hour in Huaráni
at 1030 (Allen Graham, HCJB DX Partyline March 19, notes by gh for DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
Is Huaráni the same as Paraguay`s Guaraní? It`s already in the WRTH
2005 as an external service. No, a Google search on Huarani shows it
as another remote tribe in Ecuador, thus NOT an external service.
Previous HCJB report admitted that the Cofán were being supplied with
radios fix-tuned to 6050 so they could listen to nothing but HCJB, in
Spanish the rest of the day; actually WRTH shows 6050 NOT in use by
HCJB at 1500-1900 and 0500-1030. Some other broadcaster capable of
putting a signal into Ecuador could do the Cofán a favor by
broadcasting secular programming on 6050, at least in Spanish during
those hours. Strangely enough, little is currently scheduled on 6050
overnight; depending on selectivity they might be able to hear an hour
of Spain until 0600 from 6055, and then Nikkei is there but
incomprehensible, as would Kaduna be if active on 6050 until fadeout
(Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ECUADOR. Thanks to a tip from Bill Bergadano in Internet Relay Chat
channel #swl, I am now (March 21st., 0251 UT) listening to Radio Quito
from Ecuador on 4918.98 kHz. Haven't heard them in quite some time, I
guess this is a reactivation (Mark Veldhuis, Borne, Netherlands,
Receiver: Icom IC-R75; Antenna: Wellbrook ALA-1530 loop, dxing.info
via DXLD)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, escuchando entre las
0525 y las 0545 con música y varias canciones en inglés. A las 0525
señal aceptable (24322) y luego se fue deteriorando hasta volverse
inaudible. (Marzo 21). (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING
DIGEST)
** GERMANY. As expected Niedersächsische Landesmedienanstalt on March
17 allocated Braunschweig-Königslutter 630 kHz to Voice of Russia, for
the time being only for two years since they would like to see the
frequency used for digital transmissions in future.
http://www.nlm.de/deutsch/aktuell/pressemit/presse2004/presse1803b.htm
One could wonder why VOR is interested in this outlet: The antenna
pattern of Wachenbrunn 1323 kHz used in the evening covers mainly
southwestern Germany, Zehlendorf covers not much more than the area
around Berlin, and Bolshakovo 1215 kHz is able to serve only eastern
Germany due to the co-channel UK network. So this can be seen as a
consequence of the 1386 kHz matter (Kai Ludwig, Germany, March 21, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** GERMANY [non]. New DW Relays A-05, from Chita, Russia; Taipei,
Taiwan, and Montsinéry, French Guiana:
``Tuh-Chita``, [as Jeff Ingram pronounces it, not realizing that the
Tchita spelling is merely a French phonetic rendering of Russian CH,
pronounced as in English ``cheetah``] Russia, English to As/Au 2300-
2400 on 15135; Taipei in Indonesian: 2200-2250 on 11965; Montsinéry,
all German to NAm; 0200-0600 9735, 0000-0200, 11955, 2200-2359 15410
(Bob Padula, EDXP Report on HCJB DX Partyline March 19, notes by gh
for DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREENLAND. 3815, 2129-2214* 15-03, KNR, Nuuk, via Tasiilaq (USB
only!) Greenlandic/Danish orchestral music, KNR news jingle heard at
2130, 2143, 2200 and 2213 before and after news in Greenlandic and
Danish, 2145 songs 25222. The station was not audible here several
days before and after this logging! Just 200 watts! AP-DNK (Anker
Petersen, Denmark, @tividade DX March 20 via DXLD)
** GUINEA. 7125, R. Conakry (that’s how they`re identifying the
station for quite some time, which reminds me they’d also used such an
ID in the 60`s and 70`s when pouring terrorist propaganda into the
Portuguese Guinea just like other stations, e.g. Accra`s Voice of Free
Africa) observed on 13 Mar 1059-1415, Vernacular, songs, music, talks,
etc.; 35444, but deteriorating due to QSB and QRM, both co-channel &
adjacent (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, @tividade DX March 20 via DXLD)
** INDIA. 9445, All India Radio 2100-2200 Mar 16: SINPO 44444 (this is
for signal; their modulation varied throughout the broadcast from very
good to marginal) 2100-News; 2105-Commentary "Condoleeza Rice's
Efforts to Raise Indo-US Relations to a Higher Level;" 2110-Short
Story "The Cherry Tree;" 2132-"Melodious Music;" 2139-Story of film
called "Notch", a story of the Indian film industry which featured
several musical interludes (Lawrence H. Bulk, NJ, NASWA Flashsheet via
DXLD)
A good start in constructing an otherwise unavailable PROGRAM schedule
of AIR GOS; that was a UT Wednesday (gh, DXLD)
** ISRAEL. Israel was fairly clear on 7545, tho' inaudible on the
listed 6280. (This in the evenings here, 0100 to 0400 or 0500 or so.)
(Eric Bryan, WA, March 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** ISRAEL. KOL ISRAEL A-05 SKED FROM 1 APRIL TO 8 OCTOBER 2005
Amharic + Tigre
1800-1845 EU/NAM 9345 11605 15640
Arabic
0255-2110 ME 5915
English
0330-0345 EU/NAM/AU/SAM 9345 17600 7545+ 11605^
0930-0945 EU/NAM 15640 17535
1730-1745 EU/NAM 9345 15640
1900-1925 EU/NAM/AF 11605 15615 15640
French
0345-0400 EU/NAM 9345 7545+ 11605^
1000-1015 EU/NAM 15640 17535
1530-1545 EU/NAM 11605 15640 17535
1700-1715 EU/NAM 9345 15640
1930-1945 EU/NAM 9345 11605 15640/AF/CAM
Hebrew
0400-0500 EU/NAM 9345
0500-0930 EU/NAM 17535
1030-1400 EU/NAM 17535
2000-2100 EU/NAM 15640
2100-2300 EU/NAM 11585
2300-0330 EU/NAM 9345
Hungarian
1645-1700 EU 9345 11605 15640
1845-1900 EU 9345 11605 15640
Ladino
0945-1000 EU/NAM 15640 17535
1545-1600 EU/NAM 11605 15640 17535
Persian
1400-1525* ME/EU/NAM (-1500: fr, sa +hols) 15640 17525 17535
Romanian
1625-1645 EU 9345 11605 15640
Russian
1500-1525 Russia (fr) 15640 17535
2000-2100 Russia 9345 11585
Spanish
1000-1015 EU/NAM 15640 17535
1715-1730 EU/NAM 9345 15640
1945-2000 EU/AM 9345 11605 15640
Spanish + Ladino
1500-1525 EU/AM(sa) 11605 15640 17535
Yiddish
1600-1625 EU/NAM 9345 11605 15640
+ = April, Sept and October ^ = May to August
* = Reserve freqs of 11605 and 13805
NB. 27 March to 31 March, as above, but all times will be one hour
later than shown) (Website, following tip in DXLD by Glenn Hauser,
via Alan Roe, WDXC via DXLD)
** KERGUELEN. KERGUELEN ISLAND DXPEDITION ON THE AIR! (MAR 21, 2005) -
The Microlite Penguins DXpedition team has commenced operation as
FT5XO from the Kerguelen Island (IOTA AF-048), located in the
subantarctic region of the Indian Ocean. Also known as ``Desolation
Island,`` Kerguelen is ranked as the 13th most-wanted DXCC entity
worldwide and the 10th most-wanted in the US. A dozen experienced
contesters and DXpeditioners representing seven countries are taking
part: AG9A, HB9ASZ, GI0NWG, M0DXR, N6MZ, N0TT, SP5XVY, VE3EJ, VK6DXI,
W3WL, W7EW and 9V1YC. Operation is anticipated on 160 through 6 meters
on CW, SSB and RTTY, with PSK31 and EME possible. As with the 2002
DXpedition to South Georgia and South Sandwich there will be no Web
site, pilot stations nor on-line logs. In the early going, FT5XO was
spotted on 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17 and 10 meters on CW as well as on
75, 20, 15 and 12 meters on SSB. The FT5XO DXpedition is funded by
the individual team members and through an exclusive grant from the
Northern California DX Foundation. The DXpedition plans to be on the
air through this week. QSL FT5XO via VE3XN. --George Fremin III, K5TR;
The Daily DX (via ARRL main page via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD)
** LEBANON. LEBANON PULLS OUT OF EUROVISION, WILL NOT SCREEN ISRAELI
ENTRY | Excerpt from report from Eurovision web site on 21 March
Tele-Liban has confirmed to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) the
withdrawal of Lebanon from the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 (ESC 2005)
to be hosted in Kiev by NTU, the national Ukrainian broadcaster, on 19
and 21 May.
According to Lebanese national legislation, Tele-Liban is not
permitted to broadcast the performance of the Israeli participant,
thereby breaching the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.
According to the ESC rules, all national broadcasters of the countries
taking part in the contest must broadcast the entire event, comprising
two live televised shows - a semi-final and a final.
As a consequence of withdrawing from the ESC, Tele-Liban is still
under the obligation to pay its participation fee plus an additional
fine. All participating countries confirmed their entries in the ESC
2005 by 15 December 2004. With 39 countries represented in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2005, this year shall hold the record for the
highest number of participants. [Passage omitted] Source: Eurovision
web site, Geneva, in English 21 Mar 05 (via BBCM via DXLD)
** MEXICO [non]. Border radio inspires a hot band ---
LOS SUPER SEVEN CD PAYS A FOND TRIBUTE TO X-LETTERED STATIONS [XERF]
By Lynn Margolis, Cox News Service, Posted on Sun, Mar. 20, 2005
Despite three albums and one Grammy to its credit, one of the biggest
buzz bands at this year's South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin,
Texas, isn't a band at all. Los Super Seven is more like . . . a Petri
dish, cultivated according to the theme of the moment. . .
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/11185238.htm
(via Artie Bigley, DXLD)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. HOLANDA via MADAGASCÁR - Confira os novos
horários e freqüências em que a Rádio Nederland passa a emitir, em
espanhol, entre 27 de março e 30 de outubro: das 1100 às 1200, em 6165
kHz; entre 1200 e 1230, em 9715 e 9895 kHz; já entre 2300 e 0200, em
9895 kHz; das 0000 às 0200, na freqüência alternativa de 11900 kHz e
na tradicional de 15315 kHz. Também entre 0200 e 0300, em 6165 e 9590
kHz. Finalizando, entre 0300 e 0400, em 6190 kHz (Célio Romais,
Brasil, Panorama, @tividade DX March 20 via DXLD) Nem tudos Mad (gh)
** PORTUGAL. Pro-funk GmbH in Sines uses 3 x Thomcast SK53 C3-3P5
250 kW transmitters capable of 500 kW PEP and an average 100 kW in DRM
mode; they can also send at constant carrier DSB as well as SSB, and
power is normally just 1/3 during modulation pauses by the use of
dynamic carrier control. At least 3 rotatable curtain arrays are used.
Rumors say maybe 2 more units are planned, one being for MW. According
to what I recall from my 1981 visit and what my photos show, the
transmitter hall can hardly accommodate more than 4-5 transmitters
without enlarging the building. I sincerely hope that won’t
materialize, chiefly the MW operation. Besides, the only MW stations
that can operate in Portugal are the existing ones, other applicants
being systematically refused, all according to the country’s
regulations for broadcasting. However, if by any chance DW’s able to
get a MW frequency here, I suspect it may well be one possible quiet
channel towards 1600 kHz.
The use of the Sines site by the RDP: One may wonder why on earth the
RDP uses this since some of its transmitters are actually off when
Sines relays R. Portugal. A normal situation elsewhere would mean not
enough transmitters were used at a given time. The case here is, as
I`ve explained in a recent report, that the DW station must put at the
RDP’s disposal a given amount of hours/week as a form of compensation,
as it appears no other compensation exists in the agreement. Pro-Funk
pays, nevertheless, a license to the radio authority, just like any
other domestic operator does (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, @tividade DX
March 20 via DXLD)
** SAMOA AMERICAN. Grants to Existing Facilities:
585, KJAL, AS, Tafona - CP granted to move to 630 kHz with U1
5000/5000 (Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News March 21 via DXLD) Yet
another one getting off a split, sob (gh)
** SOMALIA [non]. 12140 KHz 8:00 - 9:30 PM === Idaacadda waxa laga
maqli doonaa majadda dusha ku qoran inta ka horaysa Salaasada 29
March. Maalinta Salaasada ah ee 29 March iyo wixii ka dambeeya waxa
laga maqli doonaa oo ay u wareegaysaa 12130 KHz (from
http://www.horyaal.net/ March 21 via Glenn Hauser, DXLD)
My Somali is a bit rusty, but I guess they are saying they change from
12130 to 12140 as of 29 March, which is a Tuesday. Note this says it`s
a sesquihour rather than a semihour; 2000 local would be 1700 UT?
(Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Most likely Armavir or Samara, Russia: 250 kW at 188 degrees (Wolfgang
Büschel, Germany, BC-DX March 22 via DXLD)
** SYRIA [non]. USA/SYRIA: SURVEY FINDS AL-HURRA TV VIEWED BY
"MILLIONS" IN SYRIA | Text of press release by Virginia-based Middle
East Television Network on 10 March
Springfield, Virginia, 10 March: A new ACNielsen survey conducted in
Syria shows that millions of viewers are tuning into Al-Hurra
Television. Conducted in December and January, just 10 months after
the satellite television network with launched, Al-Hurra (Arabic for
"The Free One") has a weekly viewership of 39 per cent among all
Syrian adults (15 and over) residing in satellite television
households. The survey also indicated that Al-Hurra was a source of
credible news, with 60 per cent of Al-Hurra viewers stating that the
news on Al-Hurra is reliable.
Al-Hurra was not the only US international broadcasting effort to make
strides in Syria. The ACNielsen survey concluded that 13 per cent of
all adults in Syria listened to Radio Sawa on a weekly basis. This is
in spite of the fact that Radio Sawa does not broadcast directly to
Syria and can only be heard on transmissions directed to Egypt and
Jordan. As with Al-Hurra, Radio Sawa also proved to be a source of
credible news for Syrians with 75 per cent of the listeners finding
the news to be reliable.
"Right now, more than ever, it is critical that US international
broadcasting provide objective and accurate news to the citizens of
Syria and this new research shows that Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa are
doing just that," stated Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors Middle East Committee. "For the first
time in US international broadcasting history we are able to reach a
mass audience in Syria."
"Where are those critics who said we could not mass an audience in the
Arab world? But what's most important is these young people are
hearing about concepts like freedom and democracy," said Kenneth Y.
Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Launched on 14 February 2004, Al-Hurra quickly made a name for itself
by broadcasting balanced news and information. Al-Hurra's diverse
schedule includes news, talk shows, debates, documentaries and
entertaining information programmes on a wide variety of subjects from
sports to fashion to technology, which attracts millions of viewers.
The 24-hour channel transmits across the region in Arabic and can be
seen via Arabsat and Nilesat which reach approximately 120 million
satellite viewers in 22 countries.
Six months after the launch of Al-Hurra, ACNielsen conducted surveys
in eight countries in the region. Weekly viewing rates among adults
residing in satellite TV households ranged from 12 to 33 per cent
depending on the country. Al-Hurra has also proven itself to be a
credible source of news and information. In all the countries
surveyed, between 53 and 81 per cent of Al-Hurra's regular viewers
stated that Al-Hurra's news is reliable.
Radio Sawa is one of the most popular stations in the Middle East,
broadcasting over 325 newscasts per week - newscasts whose goal is to
present accurate and balanced information about events in the Middle
East and the world. The station's news, along with its unique mix of
the biggest hits in Western and Arabic contemporary music, is listened
to millions of Arabic speakers every week all across the region from
Sudan to Morocco.
In July and August of 2004, between 25 and 63 per cent of adults in
five key countries were tuning in to Radio Sawa on a weekly basis,
according to surveys conducted by ACNielsen. News credibility for
Radio Sawa ranged from 55 to 86 per cent of Radio Sawa listeners
saying the news was reliable. Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa are operated by
a non-profit corporation called "The Middle East Television Network,
Inc." (MTN).
MTN is financed by the American people through the US Congress. MTN
receives this funding through the Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves as oversight and
as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity
of the broadcasters.
The ACNielsen surveys for Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa were face-to-face
interviews conducted in Arabic [in] December 2004 and early January
2005. Political conditions inside Syria make conducting surveys
throughout the country difficult. The sample size was 1,516 adults, 15
years and older. This survey covered urban and semi-urban areas of
Syria. There is a 2.5 percent margin of error. Source: Middle East
Television Network, Inc. Web site: http://www.alhurra.com Source:
Middle East Television Network press release, Springfield (Virginia),
in English 10 Mar 05 (via BBCM via DXLD)
AGENCY ISSUES DECEPTIVE PRESS RELEASE
Dateline: Washington, 03/14/05. The Broadcasting Board of Governors
put their own brand of spin on research they apparently commissioned
regarding audience figures in Syria. The press release makes fantastic
claims about the BBG's failed projects -- Alhurra and Radio Sawa. If
the claims are examined critically one can see the problems with the
way the statistics are presented.
For instance the press release claims that Alhurra has a weekly
viewership of 39 percent among all Syrian adults (15 and over)
*residing in satellite television households*. This looks impressive
at first. But in reality what it says is that of every 10 Syrians
living in a household with satellite television capability, only 4
have watched Alhurra at least once a week. The press release further
states that of the 39 percent that did watch Alhurra, 60 percent found
it reliable. Breaking that down, of the 4 out of 10 who bothered
watching at least once a week, only slightly more than half found
Alhurra reliable. Those are not real good numbers.
The press release went on to try to puff up Radio Sawa's numbers. It
claimed that 13 percent of all adults in Syria listened to Radio Sawa
on a weekly basis. This may include someone who happened to sample
Radio Sawa once in a week. According to the press release, of those 13
percent, 75 percent found the news on Radio Sawa reliable. That means
more than a quarter of those who bothered to listen at least once a
week found the station to be not reliable. And remember in both cases
(Alhurra and Radio Sawa) these are individuals who sought out the
stations. That sample by nature should be more inclined to find them
reliable.
Of course in the past the BBG had a funny way of arriving at their
claims when it came to the reliability question. In a previous survey
respondents were asked if they found Radio Sawa "reliable" or
"somewhat reliable". The BBG added those two figures together to claim
that a majority of listeners found that Radio Sawa news was
"reliable". But a grade of "somewhat reliable" is a failing grade for
any news organization (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD)
SYRIA BANS CORRESPONDENT FROM US-FUNDED BROADCASTERS | Text of report
in English by Qatari Aljazeera.net web site on 16 March
Syria has banned the correspondent for US-funded Arabic-language
television Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa for lacking accreditation. Ammar
Musara reportedly had an accreditation, but it was withdrawn "because
of his coverage of an opposition sit-in in Damascus," a Syrian human
rights lawyer said.
"In Syria, we open the doors to the media, particular foreigners, to
allow them to transmit a real image of what is happening in the
country," a Syrian Information Ministry official said on Tuesday [15
March].
"We have no hostility toward the Al-Hurra chain or Radio Sawa, but
their correspondent does not have the proper accreditation," he said.
Human rights lawyer Anwar Bunni said Musara's coverage of the
opposition demonstration on 10 March in front of the capital's Palace
of Justice to call for the scrapping of Syria's emergency law and of
special courts irked the authorities.
Al-Hurra was launched last year to improve the image of the United
States in the Middle East and to counter the influence of the two
Arabic satellite channels, Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. Radio Sawa began
broadcasting in 2002. Both are funded by the US Congress. Source:
Aljazeera.net web site, Doha, in English 2359 gmt 16 Mar 05 (via BBCM
via DXLD)
** TIBET [non]. VOICE OF AMERICA TO LAUNCH TV PROGRAM IN TIBETAN
March 21st, 2005
http://www.savetibet.org/news/tibetnews/newsitem.php?id=392
The Washington, D.C. based Voice of America has announced that it is
launching the first-ever TV program in Tibetan (outside of Tibet) from
March 23, 2005. Called Talk to VOA, this will be a weekly live TV
program broadcast every Wednesday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am (Eastern
Standard Time) i.e. from 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm in Tibet and from 7:30
pm to 8:30 pm in India. Viewers and listeners in Tibet and China can
call toll free on 10810 (wait for a voice message and then dial) 866
837 5159. Those in the Indian subcontinent can call collect at (202)
619 3774 to participate in the program. According to the announcement,
``Talk to VOA features a newscast, world news reports, and a call-in
segment where viewers can discuss major topics of the day. The one-
hour Tibetan-language program will be broadcast on television via
satellite, shortwave radio, and the Internet in real time.`` This
program will be broadcast on Channel 370 on Asiasat 2 network
(International Campaign for Tibet via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD)
USA/CHINA: VOA LAUNCHES TV PROGRAMME TO TIBET | Text of press release
by Voice of America on 18 March
Washington, DC, 18 March: At 9 a.m. [1400 gmt] on Wednesday, 23 March,
the Voice of America (VOA) will debut "Talk to VOA", the first regular
TV program offered to Tibetans apart from those produced by
broadcasters within the People's Republic of China. The new, live
Tibetan-language television program will be broadcast every Wednesday.
Media interested in observing the inaugural broadcast should contact
the Office of Public Affairs at 202-401-7000 or email publicaffairs @
voa.gov.
Date: Wednesday, 23 March 2005 Time: 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Place: Voice of America, Wilbur J. Cohen Building, 330 Independence
Ave., SW C Street entrance (near the Federal Center Southwest &
L'Enfant Plaza Metro Stops)
"Talk to VOA" features a newscast, world news reports, and a call-in
segment where viewers can discuss major topics of the day. The one-
hour Tibetan-language programme will be broadcast on television via
satellite, shortwave radio, and the internet in real time. The Asiasat
2 network will carry the television portion of the program. Source:
Voice of America press release, Washington, in English 18 Mar 05 (via
BBCM via DXLD)
** U K [and non]. Somewhat frustratingly, it appears that Arabic TV is
the budgetary beneficiary from the reduction in shortwave utilization.
While the BBC could have a retainer agreement in place with VT Merlin
(or whatever they're called nowadays) to have backup SW capacity
available in case of international crisis, will people have retained
their shortwave radios? Will subsequent generations have a clue as to
how shortwave works? As I think Mr. Bowen said, when a crisis occurs
will people then have this backup technology available precisely at a
time it's needed? Would a government, in time of crisis, potentially
ban the purchase of new SW radios?
John commented earlier on the fact that the BBCWS appears to apply a
fair amount of "spin" to their audience research process. It's
entirely within their prerogative to do so, but it's entirely within
our prerogative to read between the lines and call out the missing
logic.
This is why I'd personally rather see stations maintain at least one
frequency up & running to a target area -- even DW. For example with
the BBC, take 5975 kHz. For most of eastern North America, that
frequency works reasonably well most evenings. Not all, for sure, but
most. Better to work reasonably well most nights than not at all on
all nights.
Put differently, I agree that, at some point, you reach the point
where the SW audience doesn't justify the SW service. I just don't
think we're there yet, at least not in the USA (Richard Cuff /
Allentown, PA USA, March 20, swprograms via DXLD)
Richard's comment is spot on. It is even more true for people in
Canada where the BBC has virtually no presence on local radio. While I
understand that BBC is business and that is what guides their
decisions I feel let down by them. I have been a loyal listener for 30
years and clearly my loyalty to them does not matter in the least
(Sandy Finlayson, PA, ibid.)
For those who may not be aware there's a fairly extensive listing of
the audience research in the BBC Annual Service review spread over
four pages.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/annual_review/2003/radio.shtml
It's quite interesting as they show details of audience size,
awareness, reach, objectivity and relevance. The Sunday Times picked
up on the low percentages in some countries who think that the BBCWS
provides unbiased news though they were always well ahead of their
main competitor, generally Voice of America. Unsurprisingly the
Americas came lowest in the shortwave audibility data!
I remember they quoted further examples from individual countries when
they did their press releases though some of that may have been in an
internal email to their staff I saw. They used an independent audience
research firm to collect the data. I agree their data on FM audiences
in North America was misleading, given they counted listeners to short
news bulletins, however the North American FM relays are not typical,
most of the FM relays in other countries carry BBCWS, and in some
cases other language services, 24 hours.
In some countries you can achieve fairly comprehensive coverage with
two or three FM relay stations. Chris Greenway told me that the Kenyan
FM BBCWS relays virtually cover the whole country (Mike Barraclough,
UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Only two of them are on-point and they're pretty sketchy at that.
Nothing on methodology either (e.g.: are these person-to-person
interview, written questionnaires, phone banks, etc.) I've tried to
find comprehensive information and I just hit a brick wall. It's just
not out there and what's released is only enough to marginally back up
the announced policies and decisions. BBC is not alone in this. The
BBG (which oversees VOA and U.S. international broadcasting) is even
worse in this regard.
The VOA is dropping from sight with increasing speed. To call them a
"competitor" these days stretches credulity.
But if they're misleading on one aspect of the research, who is to say
that they're playing it straight with the rest? Without raw data,
you're left with taking it or leaving it -- largely on faith. I've
lost my faith in the BBC's management.
``Kenyan FM BBCWS relays virtually cover the whole country.`` True for
some; not true for most, though. Look. All I'm saying is that this
does not have to be an either/or situation. You can be -- especially
with the budget the BBC has -- on shortwave, the internet, local FM
and satellite everywhere. As long as listeners are using all of these,
the BBC should be on all of these. IF, that is, they are truly a World
Service and truly interested in serving all of their audience. As a
public broadcaster, they should be (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.)
Hi Dave, John, et al, If you talk to the receiver manufacturers, you
will discover that shortwave radio sales are indeed on a permanent
decline, which explains why there are just a handful of really good
sets out there, not like the 60 or so models when I was testing them
for the WRTH and Radio Netherlands.
I believe that good content drives technology and if something comes
along which does a more efficient job of delivering content, then it
makes a lot of sense to use it.
The web is great at delivering good audio to many parts of the world
with broadband. Does it replace delivery to a portable radio in rural
areas? No --- and the technologies to replace analogue shortwave have
just a few years to get cracking if they don't want to go the way of
SSB. I was copying off some old Media Networks from 1984 and had to
laugh at the predictions that by 2015 we would have progressed to SSB
instead of AM.
Public service broadcasting does indeed have a duty to serve all its
public - in areas where a licence fee is charged. So the BBC uses
terrestrial transmitters and spends a fortune getting to the remote
Scottish islands where other channels don't bother with.
I don't think the BBC has an obligation to serve the entire world ---
it doesn't. With 6.2 billion people on the planet, their audience of
144 million people who listen at least once a week means the majority
of the world doesn't listen, or can't listen.
I do think the BBC needs to re-think how it explains to its audience
its shift to different technologies. The current BBC Web page is very
poorly worded. I don't see newspapers telling their readers that the
paper is going to have less pages in it, or that readers in rural
areas should stop buying their publication. Wouldn't it be great if
they involved the audience in finding solutions to their distribution
challenges, rather than the method they are using now. I feel
insulted, rather than consulted.
Hi to all those who remember me, Jonathan Marks, X-DX but still very
much into radio, Jonathan Marks, Director, Critical Distance BV, Stam
69, 1275CG Huizen, The Netherlands
Newsblog: http://criticaldistance.blogspot.com
Atom Format XML Feed: http://criticaldistance.blogspot.com/atom.xml
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NEW: Tsunami WIKI for Broadcasters:
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Company Website: http://www.criticaldistance.org
(Jonathan Marks, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Jonathan: If you say that shortwave receiver sales are down, then
they're down. But I'm not disputing the fact that there are more ways
to reach more people than ever before. Neither am I denying that it's
a genuine challenge trying to figure out how to leverage all these
methods intelligently and effectively. All I'm saying is that is
unnecessary for the BBC to totally abandon shortwave to any region.
Here in NA, e.g., we have plenty of very cheap excess shortwave
transmitter capacity. And the content on most of them is pitiful. An
owner would jump at the chance to relay the BBC for a few hours a day.
All it would take is one frequency in the morning and another in the
evening. Sure, it may not be to the BBC's once lofty standards in this
regard, but Antigua wasn't performing all that well for some time. And
flexibility is a necessity in this era.
So, if I can't be home by my computer, or in a wi-fi served café, or
in my Sirius-served vehicle, I can still hear the BBC if I want. As
for the "serving the whole world because it's a public service
broadcaster" argument, I'm just differentiating between the theory
behind and mission of a commercial broadcaster and that of a public
service broadcaster. Those, unfortunately, appear to be collapsing and
my feeble efforts to remind about the subtle but real differences
between the two are falling on mostly deaf ears. A lost cause -- you
might say. Good to hear from you on this (John Figliozzi, ibid.)
See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM; CHINA
** U K. WRITE ON AT AN UNEXPECTED TIME --- Whilst playing around with
my DAB tuner today, I noticed that Write On was being aired on BBC WS
Europe Stream at 0145 UT. I had not previously been aware of this
airing of the programme, which probably came in with the January
changes, replacing the 0045 UT Sunday airing. Unfortunately, this sort
of thing can happen when a broadcaster stops publishing its programme
listings. In fact I missed the World Football programme for a few
weeks in January when the 0730 UT airing was dropped and it took me a
few weeks to discover it one hour earlier. I am not always awake in
time to hear the 0430 airing via Radio 4. I wonder how long it will
take for us to get used to whatever new schedule comes into operation
next Sunday, that is, if we can hear it! (PAUL DAVID, UK, dxldyg via
DXLD)
By the way, as of today, the BBC website does NOT have new program
schedule info posted yet. If you pick a week in April and request
the schedule, it comes back with a message saying it can't find it.
Great help to the listenership there --- Typical of the BBC these
days; can't do a thing right administratively or managerially (Will
Martin, MO, March 21, dxldyg via DXLD)
** U K [and non]. Hi Glenn, I got a kick out of your irritation with
sports coverage. I'm interested in health and fitness and all that,
but listening to sports on the radio doesn't really get me either. On
the weekends, I'm always kind of let down with BBC's Sportsworld. I
sound like a sourpuss, but I want to hear more of what Bin Laden et al
might be up to, etc., more than a "futbol" match. We seriously need
some 24/7 terrorist coverage. Imagine all that's going on that we're
not told about (Eric Bryan, WA, March 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U K. REPORT: BBC TO CUT 1,500 JOBS --- LONDON (AP) -- The British
Broadcasting Corp. plans to cut about 1,500 jobs in news and other
programming, according to a report on the BBC Web site. BBC management
declined on Friday to comment on the report, saying Director-General
Mark Thompson would announce details to the staff on Monday. The BBC
Web site said its report was obtained from a senior source by the
BBC's labor affairs correspondent, Stephen Cape, by a senior well-
placed source. The report said the cuts would be in addition to the
loss of 1,730 jobs announced last week in the professional services
divisions, including finance, human resources and marketing. The BBC
employs about 28,000 people, including those whose jobs are to be cut.
Net: http://news.bbc.co.uk (APws 03/18 1043 via Mike Cooper, DXLD)
** U K. NEW BBC JOB CUTS REACH INTO BROADCAST OPERATIONS
Mon March 21, 2005 By Jeffrey Goldfarb
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=7961593
LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC said Monday it would axe another 2,050
jobs, including large numbers from its regional and news operations,
paring total staff by 19 percent when taking into account earlier
moves.
The latest round of cuts is expected to save 221 million pounds
($420.5 million), which BBC Director-General Mark Thompson said would
be spent to develop new programs.
"We are going through the toughest period any of us can remember,"
Thompson said. "It's a difficult and painful process, but necessary."
The BBC, Britain's publicly funded broadcaster, is undergoing a
massive restructuring ahead of its once-a-decade government review. It
also follows a top management shake-up after criticism of its
journalism in the run-up to the Iraq war.
The broadcaster dominates the UK media sector, pulling in about half
of the country's TV and radio audiences. It is funded with about 2
billion pounds raised by a license fee on all UK households with a TV.
The BBC said it would cut 735 jobs, or about 13 percent, of its
nations and regions division, and 420 jobs, or 12 percent, of its news
division. Another 424 jobs, or 21 percent, will be slashed from
factual and learning operations, and 150, or 15 percent, from radio
and music.
Other cuts also were announced for drama, entertainment, sport and
children's programming divisions. All the savings will be realized
over a three-year span, the broadcaster said.
At the same time, Thompson said an extra 47 million pounds a year
would be spent for TV drama on BBC1 and BBC2 starting in 2008, and 45
million more on news to increase coverage in the Middle East and to
produce other original reporting.
"We need to free up money to start investing in our digital future, to
end our current Charter in December 2006 on budget and to show we are
serious about providing value for money," Thompson said.
The BBC, home to long-running soap opera "EastEnders" and award-
winning sit-com "The Office," earlier announced 1,750 job cuts at
divisions including marketing and human resources, with savings there
of 139 million pounds.
The total headcount reduction announced so far is 3,800, or 19 percent
of its public service workforce, with related annual cost savings of
about 355 million pounds by 2008.
Officials from the National Union of Journalists, which has been
vocally opposed to the job cuts, could not immediately be reached to
comment (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD)
UK: BBC ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF SAVINGS IN PUBLIC SERVICE CONTENT AND
OUTPUT | Text of press release from BBC on 21 March
Two-hundred-and-twenty-one million pounds a year savings in content
and output areas by March 2008; 2,050 posts to close - 13 per cent
reduction in headcount in content and output; total cost savings of
355m pounds a year released to reinvest in programmes; reinvestment
includes 45m pounds for News, 14m pounds in CBBC, 47m pounds for TV
Drama, 23m pounds for TV factual programmes, 52m pounds in the UK's
Nations and Regions, 27m pounds in Radio and Music and 32m pounds in
New Media.
BBC Director-General Mark Thompson today announced savings of 221m
pounds a year in the organization's content and output areas by 2008,
which will be reinvested back into programmes.
Today's figures include the closure of 2,050 posts and represent a 13
per cent reduction in headcount in content and output areas.
They follow the first round of 46 per cent headcount savings announced
two weeks ago in the BBC's Professional Service divisions amounting to
139m pounds.
Annual costs savings by 2008 now total 355m pounds - after a small
contingency - which is ahead of the 320m pounds target set last
December. This represents an overall 19 per cent reduction in the
BBC's UK public service workforce by 3,780 through redundancy, natural
staff turnover and outsourcing.
Mr Thompson told all BBC staff: "This is all money we plan to spend on
programmes and content, both to improve the services we deliver to
audiences right now and to build strong BBC services in the future.
"All divisions are now finding ways of achieving these savings through
genuine improvements rather than crude cuts."
He said that, over the coming months, there would be a lot of hard-
edged activity across the BBC to make the changes real. This would
include revisiting the BBC's technology strategy, simpler processes,
more prioritisation and rewarding people for excellent leadership.
Acknowledging that there were risks in undertaking change on such a
large scale, Mr Thompson said: "We are going through the toughest
period any of us can remember. It's a difficult and painful process
but necessary.
"We need to free up money to start investing in our digital future, to
end our current charter in December 2006 on budget and to show we are
serious about providing value for money."
The savings, by March 2008, break down as follows:
TV - 47 posts (18 per cent); Savings 37m pounds;
Radio and Music - 150 posts (15 per cent); Savings 9.4m pounds;
New Media Central - 58 posts (18 per cent); Savings 7.7m pounds;
Nations and Regions - 735 posts (13 per cent); Savings 54.4m pounds;
Drama, Entertainment and CBBC - 150 posts (10 per cent); Savings 45.2m
pounds;
Factual and Learning - 424 posts close (21 per cent); Savings 22.9m
pounds;
BBC News - 420 posts (12 per cent); Savings 34.4m pounds;
BBC Sport - 66 posts (13 per cent); Savings 9.9m pounds
Professional Services - 1,730 posts (46 per cent); Savings 139m
pounds.
All savings will be phased over the next three years through a
combination of modernizing production, eradicating duplication and
reducing administrative support staff.
In terms of reinvestment, Mr Thompson said a balance had to be struck
between investment to boost the quality of today's services and
investment in services of the future. But the savings meant that by
2008/09 there would be 355m pounds of fresh investment each year.
Investment priorities include:
47m pounds a year by 2008 in TV drama on BBC One and BBC Two; 6m
pounds for the Alternative Proms and Music for All; 23m pounds for TV
factual overall including 9m pounds for Specialist Factual on BBC One;
45m pounds for News, boosting original journalism, current affairs,
Middle East news coverage and news on-demand; 52m pounds for Nations
and Regions' local output, plus an increased share of network TV
spend; Investing in Building Public Value ideas, including 32m pounds
to help New Media develop platforms and navigation, on demand and two-
way applications.
Mr Thompson said that investment in existing services could proceed,
but new services needed to be piloted and tested. He said the BBC
governors also needed to apply their own public value test and plans
would be dependent on the licence fee settlement and governors'
approval. Source: BBC press release, London, in English 21 Mar 05 (via
BBCM via DXLD)
UNIONS REACT ANGRILY TO LATEST ROUND OF BBC JOB LOSSES
Unions representing BBC staff have not been slow to react to today's
announcement by BBC Director-General Mark Thompson of a further 2,050
job losses at the Corporation.
"This is the worst day in the BBC's history," said Luke Crawley of the
Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU). "I
can't see how the BBC will deliver all Thompson's promises about new
services after ditching so many staff, and life for those who survive
is going to be miserable. We're not against an efficient, productive,
BBC, but many of Thompson's proposals are going to make it worse, not
better, and that's what we'll be fighting against."
A similar message was delivered by Jeremy Dear, General Secretary of
the National Union of Journalists, who told BBC News Online that staff
were being used as "political pawns" in "an unsavoury and grubby deal
between government and senior BBC management".
"How can hard-working staff maintain quality whilst trying to do not
only their own job but that of thousands of their colleagues too?" he
said. "The inevitable result is that staff will face burn-out whilst
standards and quality will be damaged." # posted by Andy @ 15:54 UT
March 21 (Media Network blog via DXLD)
** U S A. A skim of last week's Boston Globe Magazine reveals that the
former "Radio LOG" on 540 in Dorchester is now "Girls Radio." The
unlicensed operation was putting a nice signal over Dorchester when we
taped it a year or so ago, though at that point it was just tracking
automated black gospel. (We'd actually be quite curious to hear some
of its "regular" programming if anyone's within range.)
One of the iconic voices of NEW YORK radio has died. Ted Brown (along
with his then-wife, "the Redhead") was the morning voice on WMGM
(1050) from 1950 until 1962, when the station returned to its former
calls of WHN. Brown soon headed up the dial to WNEW (1130) and
afternoons (mornings at that point still being the domain of Klavan
and Finch), where he'd remain for most of the decade, becoming known
for his wry humor and for on-air stunts that included getting drunk on
the air at holiday time (with a police officer present) to illustrate
the dangers of drunk driving.
In 1970, Brown moved to afternoons on WNBC (660) and went nationwide
as one of the "communicators" on NBC's weekend Monitor. He returned to
WNEW's afternoon drive in 1972, moving to mornings in 1978 upon Gene
Klavan's retirement and remaining there until his own retirement a
decade later. Brown returned to WNEW's airwaves on the station's final
day in 1993, becoming one of the last voices heard there before WNEW
signed off for good. [see CANADA for link to audio of this]
In later years, Ted was heard on WRIV (1390 Riverhead) and on WVNJ
(1160 Oakland NJ). He suffered a stroke in 1996 that left him
incapacitated. Brown died in his sleep Sunday morning (Mar. 20) at his
New York home. A memorial service will be held Tuesday morning (Mar.
22) at the Riverside Memorial Chapel, 331 Amsterdam Avenue, at 11:15
AM (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch March 21, via DXLD)
** U S A. Beethoven.com Hangs Tough --- 'We like to say that we've got
Howard Stern upstairs and Sir Isaac Stern downstairs.' by James
Careless
Beethoven.com bills itself as "The World's Classical Music Station."
However, perhaps a more appropriate title would be "Dot.com Crash
Survivor." The site has managed to stay afloat since 1999, when it
first became a commercial Internet radio station. Today, this
classical music Webcaster is breaking even through a combination of
smart budgeting, canny ad deals and persistence.
"We're just waiting for advertisers to discover Internet radio the way
they discovered terrestrial radio 70 years ago," said Alan Tolz, group
vice president of Marlin Broadcasting, which owns Beethoven.com. "We
don't know when this is going to happen, but at least we have the
staying power to wait."
Beethoven.com was originally the Web site for Miami classical music
station WTMI(FM). However, by the time Marlin Broadcasting sold WTMI
to Cox Radio in 2000, Beethoven.com had evolved into a bona fide
Internet radio station, one with its own programming, online identity
and Web-based ad sales . .
http://www.radioworld.com/reference-room/special-report/beethoven.shtml
(Radio World via DXLD)
** U S A. JEAN SHEPHERD FANS, LISTEN UP --- The new WXRB-FM
95.1/Dudley, MA., and "SuperStation WXRB" live at http://wxrbfm.com
will be running the original Jean Shepherd programs Sunday nights at
11:00 PM (eastern) beginning March 20th on the Internet feed (and
beginning early April on the FM side). These are the original WOR
shows from the 1960's and 70's, complete with the original
commercials. This is part Max Schmid's "Mass Backwards" program, on a
one to two week delay from WBAI (99.5/New York). Max's show can be
heard in its entirety on WBAI http://wbai.org Tuesday mornings 3:30 AM
til 6:00 AM on WBAI 99.5 in New York. I, myself, am a big Shep fan
from WAY BACK in the mid 70's. For those of you who don't know who
"Shep" was, you may recognize him as the voice of a grown-up "Ralphie"
in the Christmas classic "A Christmas Story". Listen in, Sunday nights
11:00 PM [0300 UT Mondays, DST] on SuperStation WXRB http://wxrbfm.com
(Shameless plug mode off........) (Peter Q. George (K1XRB), GM/Chief
Engineer WXRB-FM http://wxrbfm.com March 20, radio-info streaming
board via DXLD)
** U S A. Grants to Existing Facilities:
860, KTRB, CA, Modesto --- after an initial application and several
amendments, KTRB has finally been granted a CP for U4 50000/50000
along with the city-of-license change to San Francisco. Their three-
tower day site is located at N38-09-30, W122-24-44 and the four-tower
night site is at N37-35-28, W121-46-29.
Petitions for reconsideration for Applications:
1490, KRSN, NM, Los Álamos, licensed for U1 1000/1000, KRSN applied to
change the COL to Santa Fe NM with U1 1000/1000, which was initially
dismissed by the FCC. They have asked for reinstatement
(Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News March 21 via DXLD)
** U S A. SPRINGER READY TO TAKE RADIO SHOW NATIONAL
Monday, March 21, 2005 By John Kiesewetter, Enquirer staff writer
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050321/ENT/503210303
ON THE AIR
What: Springer on the Radio
When: 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Clear Channel stations WCKY-AM (1530); Cleveland's WTAM-AM
(1100); Miami's WINZ-AM (940), Detroit's WDTW (1310) and San Antonio's
KRPT-FM (92.5)
Website: http://springerontheradio.com
Jerry Springer talks to a caller during the first hour of his first
day of his new, liberal radio talk show. Enquirer file / Glenn Hartong
Just two months after his Cincinnati radio debut, Jerry Springer has
added four cities - and soon could go national. "Springer on the
Radio," which launched Jan. 17 on WCKY-AM (1530), now airs in Miami,
Detroit San Antonio. Cleveland's WTAM-AM (1100) adds the show today.
And the daytime TV talk show host confirms that his representatives
have been talking to the national Air America network, which provides
the liberal talk format to WCKY-AM and 49 other stations.
He declined to comment on specifics of a possible network deal.
Springer met with Air America operators the Radio & Records Talk Radio
Summit in Los Angeles earlier this month.
"It would be great legitimacy. It's no longer just a local radio show.
It would be heard all around the country," says Springer, the former
Cincinnati mayor and TV anchor who left news in 1993 to devote himself
full time to his daytime TV show.
A spokesman for Air America in New York refused to comment on any
interest in Springer's show.
In recent weeks, Springer has steered radio conversations to national
issues -- not local topics - to appeal to listeners in Florida,
Michigan, Texas and people hearing the show over the Internet.
He talked about the Congressional hearings into baseball players using
steroids on Friday, instead of potential success for U.S. Rep. Rob
Portman of Terrace Park, nominated to be U.S. trade representative.
Springer, who had considered running for a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio
last year, says he's not interested in Portman's job. "No, I'm
concentrating on doing this (radio)," he says.
Springer commutes between Cincinnati and Chicago each week. He
broadcasts the radio show from Chicago on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,
before taping TV programs.
"It's exhausting, but I can do it for a while," he says. He won't say
how long he will continue the TV show, and he refuses to say he's done
with politics. "I'll keep doing the TV show until I quit it," he says.
"If I decide to run for office, I'd quit it."
Air America celebrates its first anniversary March 31. It provides
WCKY-AM with "The Al Franken Show" (noon-3 p.m.), "Randi Rhodes Show
(6-10 p.m.) and "Morning Sedition" (6-9 a.m.). (via Artie Bigley,
DXLD) So whom would AA bump to accommodate Springer? (gh)
** U S A. PIRATE DJ'S SOUGHT AFTER ANTENNA BLOWS OVER
By Andrew Ryan, Staff Writer, March 18, 2005
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-sradio18mar18,0,462505.story?coll=sfla-news-broward
A breeze blew over an illegal 40-foot antenna atop a building in
downtown Hollywood on Wednesday, leading authorities to two pirate
radio stations that had been covertly broadcasting Caribbean music and
the "Voice of Peace for Israel," police said.
The makeshift antenna, haphazardly anchored in a knee-high garbage
can filled with concrete, caught the attention of neighbors when it
tipped over on top of the eight-story Wachovia Bank Building on Tyler
Street and dangled over the parking lot.
Police and fire officials, responding to a call about 2:30 p.m.,
found a network of antennas, an amplifier and a river of cable running
to an air-conditioned broadcast booth on the roof and another in a
storage room two floors below.
"It was a very sophisticated operation that looked like a radio
station," said Hollywood police spokesman Tony Rode. "The good news is
we were able to dismantle two pirate radio stations. The bad news is
nobody has been arrested at this point."
Radio pirates broadcast without licenses from the Federal
Communications Commission and can interfere with the signals of
established stations.
If caught, the FCC can seize a pirate's equipment, levy fines and
imprison black-market disc jockeys. Pirate radio has long been an
issue in Florida, prompting legislators to pass a law that made
running an illicit station a third-degree felony. The law took effect
July 1.
The stations Hollywood authorities stumbled on Wednesday broadcast on
the FM band. The first, 101.1, played Caribbean music. Police found
hundreds of compact discs, a computer and a timer that allowed DJ's to
spin music remotely, Rode said.
The second station, 104.7, called itself "The Voice of Peace for
Israel," Rode said.
Officials were thankful that the antenna didn't crash into the
Wachovia parking lot where people could have been injured, Rode said.
Investigators are interviewing the building's tenants, but so far
police do not know how long the two stations have been broadcasting.
The building, located at 1909 Tyler St., a block west of Young
Circle, is owned by the Whale Pond Land Trust #1, records show. Joseph
Betesh, a trustee for the company, did not return phone calls seeking
comment.
In addition to state and FCC regulations, the radio pirates also
violated city building and electrical codes, Rode said.
In 2000 the FCC pulled the plug on two Broward pirate stations,
including one in unincorporated Fort Lauderdale that played uncensored
rap and hip-hop punctuated with profanity (via Artie Bigley; Ken Kopp,
KS, dxldyg via DXLD)
** U S A. A pirate looks at 40 watts --- "Bob Noxious" doesn't like
FCC or corporate control of radio, so he found his own clear channel -
an unused FM frequency - and broadcasts illegally.
By CHASE SQUIRES, Times TV columnist Published March 21, 2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[Times photo: Cherie Diez] Bob Noxious sits at the controls of his
pirate radio station, which is in his small apartment in downtown St.
Petersburg. Noxious says he goes out of his way to avoid conflicting
with commercial stations' signals. "I don't want someone telling me
what I can and can't say. I'm protected, too," he says.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ST. PETERSBURG - In the battle of the airwaves, a 35-year-old out-of-
work cook calling himself Bob Noxious envisions himself a pirate. He
is making a point out of ignoring the Federal Communications
Commission. He skipped licensing, bought a radio transmitter for $600
and squatted on FM, broadcasting within a 5-mile radius a blend of
rock, rap, reggae and whatever else he wants across downtown St.
Petersburg. . .
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/21/Floridian/A_pirate_looks_at_40_.shtml
(via Artie Bigley) A good, long article, but WTFK? Apparently the name
of it is Pirate Radio Network, mentioned only once in passing (gh)
** U S A. I just heard the announcer on WWKB 1520 [Buffalo NY] solicit
letters from listeners outside of their local listening area. He
specifically mentioned hearing from listeners in "Canada and Europe"
and listeners on the east coast, including the Washington DC area in
the past. Interesting. Perhaps some stations still target listeners
outside of their local coverage area (Bill Harms Elkridge, Maryland,
0352 UT March 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. In the past few days I have noticed that Washington's 50 kW
WTEM 980 is using IBOC. In this case the transmitter is only 11 miles
from my house and I am in a major lobe so the effects are quite
noticeable. Forget about hearing anything on 960, 970, 990 or 1000.
Even WCTN 950 Potomac, MD and Baltimore's WOLB 1010 are affected
somewhat by artifacts at my location. During March WTEM changes
patterns and drops to 5 KW at 6:15 PM EST, and at that time it also
drops IBOC (Fred Laun, Temple Hills, MD, March 21, WTFDA-AM via DXLD)
** U S A. FCC CONSIDERS LETTING LPFMS BUMP TRANSLATORS
The commission is seeking input on whether to give low-power FM
stations "primary" status over FM translators, potentially allowing
LPFMs to bump existing and proposed translators off the air. In a
notice released yesterday, the FCC said the volume of new FM
translator applications it received during a 2003 filing window for
the service demonstrated the large demand for existing FM spectrum.
LPFM advocates have argued that the licensing of a large number of new
translators could deplete available allotments for future LPFM
stations, and they also contend that locally focused LPFM operations
provide more public interest benefit than translators that, in some
cases, carry nationally syndicated programming. However, the FCC notes
that translators are generally authorized to carry national
programming only in areas already well-served by local broadcasters.
While it mulls these issues, the FCC has enacted a six-month freeze on
the issuance of new FM translator permits. The commission is also
seeking input on whether existing LPFMs should be allowed to continue
operating if they cause interference with subsequently authorized
full-power FMs. Additionally, the commission is considering whether to
allow LPFM licensees to transfer or sell their authorizations and
whether LPFM ownership should be restricted to local entities
(http://www.radioandrecords.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD)
** U S A. Anti-quack crusader James Randi criticizes Diane Rehm and
public TV stations for featuring Deepak Chopra, Dr. Christiane
Northrup and a psychic. posted at 2:23 PM EST March 18
http://www.randi.org/jr/031805x.html#10
(Current via DXLD) And the rest of Randi`s page is well worth reading!
(gh)
** VIRGIN ISLANDS US. Petitions for reconsideration for Applications:
1690, NEW, Charlotte Amalie, originally dismissed, applicant has asked
for reinstatement of application for U1 10000/1000 (Bill Hale, AM
Switch, NRC DX News March 21 via DXLD)
** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 7460, 17/3. R. N. Saharaui, 1940-2005,
Arabic, sólo música árabe. SINPO 55444. 7460, 18/3. R. N. Saharaui,
2303-2318, ID "Radio Nacional Saharaui, voz del pueblo", "Están
sintonizando la radio nacional Saharaui en la madrugada de los ritmos
latinos", música latina. SINPO 45433 (Jose Miguel Romero, Sacañet
(Castellón), España, Receptor Sangean ATS-909. Antena siete metros de
hilo, Noticias DX via DXLD)
** ZIMBABWE [non]. 11705/11845/11995 CLANDESTINE (Zimbabwe). SW Radio
Africa: They were on 11845 Mar 16, poor signal to 1700, then switched
to 11705 where they were a little better at first, still choppy and
fadey, improving more circa 1750 when it became pretty decent. They
gave the new 11845-11705-11995 frequency rundown at 1709, and again at
1740. It was mostly music and call-ins. They gave frequency changeover
announcement at 1759, then RFI took over 11705 and SWRA moved to 11995
where they were about the same as 11705, choppy, but in the clear and
easily heard with "Countdown to Elections." Wolfgang Bueschel reports
that these 25 mb frequencies were originally via Ascension but are now
via Rampisham (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD)
My understanding was that the first one, 11845, was Asc, and when they
added two more from Rampisham, that too switched to Rampisham. Seems
to me Ascension would put in a better more reliable signal from much
closer and at a suitable skip distance (gh)
CLANDESTINE (Zimbabwe). SW Radio Africa: There is no doubt that the
broadcasts are being jammed. The 11845 signal is the weakest here and
it was not jammed at first, but the jammer came on around 1630 and
wiped out the signal almost completely. The jammer on 6145 was
irritating, but the signal was still quite useable. 3230 is extremely
strong here, and the jammer was hardly noticeable, but definitely
there. The jamming on 11845 and 6145 stopped about one minute after
sign-off at 1700, but continued on 3230, which broadcasts until 1900.
The jammer does not sound like anything Iran and China are using, but
rather a buzzing/drilling type of electrical noise. Something a DXer
is very allergic to! (Vaclav Korinek, South Africa, DXplorer via DXLD)
ZIMBABWE: MEDIA MONITOR CONDEMNS RADIO JAMMING
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks NEWS March 21, 2005 Posted
to the web March 21, 2005
Johannesburg --- Zimbabwe's Media Monitoring Project (MMPZ) has
described the alleged jamming of a London-based anti-government radio
station, as the "latest deliberate assault on freedom of
expression"... http://allafrica.com/stories/200503211059.html
(via Artie Bigley, DXLD)
UNIDENTIFIED. I have a station playing wall-to-wall music with no
announcements on 1670, 3/21 [sic, must mean 3/20 local time] 2140 EST.
They are strong enough to top WMWR and WTDY. DXers on #mwdx are also
hearing this station. We suspect it is a pirate in New England. Can
someone in New England help ID this station? (Bill Harms, Elkridge,
Maryland, UT March 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
When it gets strong enough to just barely make out, it sounds like I
am hearing religious music. It is not clear enough for me to make out
the language (need my son's Select-Tenna), but I do recognize the
melody. 15 miles south of downtown Boston (Allan Dunn, K1UCY, NRC-AM
via DXLD)
That's what I'm hearing - religious music, children's choirs and the
like. No talk between selections. Do you think it could be groundwave
at your location, or is it behaving more like skywave? (Barry
McLarnon, VE3JF Ottawa, ON, ibid.)
I just switched to my DX-398 which I can rotate easily. It is
noticeably stronger (but still weak) than on my Satellit 800 which is
too bulky to rotate. There is flutter from a co-channel. Definitely
not EE. Loops NE-SW of here. Again 15 miles south of downtown Boston.
(Allan Dunn, ibid.)
I hear choral music, but it's not strong. Mixed with other stuff, and
adjacent splatter. Flute music too (Craig Healy, Providence, RI,
0351 UT Mar 21, ibid.)
I didn't get to the email until this morning, but I heard the station
here in Central PA with religious music in English at the same time.
About even in strength (or a little under) the others on 1670. No
chance (yet) to review overnight recordings, but there may be more
there (Brett Saylor, ibid.)
When I switched to the DX-398, it seemed steady in level. There was
rapid flutter probably from QRM, but no fades. So it could have been
ground wave. ALERT! When I tried it at 8AM which is two hours after
sunrise, I hear foreign language talk at about the same level as last
night. So it must be here in Eastern Mass. The null is not as narrow
as I like, still think it is NE-SW. Might be at 220-230 degrees true
(or 040-050). Some theme music just heard is "There's Power in the
Blood", but not in EE. Definitely religious (Allan Dunn, Holbrook, MA,
ibid.)
I did a Google search and found a LPAM station, Allston-Brighton Free
Radio, in the Boston area. In Google under the link to the main page,
which is all black with no text or links, it says "1630 am, ten watt,
community station in Allston, MA" But the next search result takes you
to their coverage page on a frequency of 1670 kHz. Maybe they changed
frequencies this past weekend? The following goes to their support
page. http://www.abfreeradio.org/support.html Some of the items on the
web site are dated 2002, do they still exist? (Pete Dernbach, St.
Louis MO, ibid.) I think we had an item recently that they do not (gh)
The music, religious and ethnic content you all describe sounds very
much like the Dorchester MA pirate Neil Wolfish and I have heard at
Burnt River ON on 1710. If anyone can hear French, that will be an
important clue (though there may be English or Spanish (and other?)
language pirates for all I know). (Saul Chernos, Ont., ibid.)
UNIDENTIFIED. Yosemite Sam back? Several amateur reports following
initial discovery Friday UT by a ham in Los Angeles. I haven't heard
it yet, but there are .wavs. It seems to come and go on a possible
diurnal schedule. Same DSB databurst every 40 seconds, new (clipped
and unintelligible) voice. Propagation and other amateur reports,
including from the NM people, suggest the same origin (the MATIC
contract facility in NM, where military radios are tested over varying
terrain on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation). Thanks, guys, for all this
info. Truly The Oddity That Keeps On Giving (Hugh (Stegman) via WUN
via Steve Lare, Holland, MI, March 21, DXLD) WTFK? As before?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
SHORTWAVE RADIO DAYS --- By PAUL THEROUX Published: March 20, 2005
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/travel/tmagazine/20TRADIO.html?ex=1111986000&en=3a5cff26499b5705&ei=5070
A few years ago, during my ''Dark Star Safari'' travels in Africa,
almost everything I had was stolen. Intending a foray into a dodgy
part of Mozambique, I had left the valuable stuff in safekeeping and
took with me only my notes, my passport and a few odds and ends. I
returned to Johannesburg to find myself a pauper, owning only the
clothes I stood up in. My plight was hard to dramatize in a country
with an annual murder rate of about 20,000 and reported rapes at
around 53,000. Still, I missed my things and was faced with a
difficult decision: What do I replace first?
Eventually, I did replace the bag itself, a Patagonia MLC -- Maximum
Legal Carry-On -- as well as the bruised Glaser Designs briefcase I'd
prudently padlocked inside it. But the first thing I bought was a
shortwave radio: the exact model that had been swiped, a Sony ICF-
SW07. I wouldn't take a serious trip without it.
In 1963, when I began a stint in the Peace Corps in Africa, I bought
my first shortwave; and over the years, as the radios have become
smaller and more efficient, I have traded up. I avoided election
violence in Africa by listening to foreign shortwave stations; I was
alerted to a wave of kidnappings on an outlying island in the
Philippines where I happened to be; and, traveling through the former
Soviet Union in 1986, I heard the first news of Chernobyl on the BBC
World Service.
Nights can be very long for the solo traveler in a remote place, where
the only evening pleasure is listening to the radio. It so happens
that no good signal is audible on Christmas Island (now Kiritimati),
1,500 miles south of Hawaii, but there is hardly anywhere else where
you can't find something on a shortwave radio to cheer you in the
darkness.
When I travel, it's my only electronic indulgence. A computer is a
millstone, a pager is a joke and a cellphone to me is a secular form
of purgatory -- merely a subtle, more nagging version of the
electronic ankle bracelets that perverts and felons have to wear. But
a shortwave radio is instant access to the wider world. It's
enlightenment, security and amusement (via John Figliozzi, dxldyg via
DXLD)
Someone forwarded this to the BBC, right? (Alan Johnson, NV,
Swprograms mailing list via DXLD)
Oh, I think they got it. Theroux's former wife is a BBC radio producer
of several decades. Still, the article is about going to SW-full
areas, not the dangerous ports of America.
You get the frisson of BBC's aid when you get the messages of BBC
calling on all 'citizens and ... , please contact the British Embassy
in .... Flights out will be arranged from the ... airport on 17th
April.
When I was in deep China in June 1989, everyone was listening to
shortwave during a crisis. (Though Radio Australia, in those expansive
days, was much, much better than BBC for coverage accuracy on the
English language side)
In Canada on 11 09, the BBCWS was doing a much better job than our
domestic service in the initial hours of the NY towers crashes.
The BBCWS has been taken over by cheap bureaucrats. See the warnings
by ex-director John Tusa in his collection of essays "A world in your
ear : reflections on changes" /by John Tusa. (Published London :
Broadside, 1992.) on dropping services to any area and the
difficulties, beyond technical, on believability and usage in
restoring SW services during a crisis.
The Labor politicians of Australia are advocating expansion of RA
service to Indonesia as a quiet but constant arm of diplomacy and
relief effort in Banda Aceh and other regions.
It is very cheap for the use that will be made of it. I'm sure that
the ease of the British Army mission in Iraq was enhanced by years of
the BBCWS in the local languages, and English.
Same when America is losing millions of people to Bird Flu and can't
keep communications going in the face of quarantines etc. etc. (Daniel
Say, now listening to CRI in Vancouver, Canada, ibid.)
CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
KULPSVILLE AGAIN --- FOR NATIONAL RADIO CLUB
When I was at Batavia [2004 NRC Convention], when they asked for a
convention host of the 2005 Convention, someone forced my arm up in
the air and I agreed to do it (my 3rd one as host). I figured,
``hmmmmm, Scranton area`` might be interesting, and it was an
adventure to say the least as to why it has ended up where it is now.
The con will be in Lansdale PA, at the Best Western at Kulpsville, the
same place where ANARC [sic] has their annual Winterfest in March!
Keep your eye on the front pages of DX News as more info will be
forthcoming as I have it available. Kulpsville is more centrally
located and there is a lot to do within an hour drive of the area.
I`ve had to schedule the business meeting and auxion for Saturday
night and the banquet for Sunday night, but that may be better than
having one real long night as in the past. The next DX News will have
info for making reservations directly with the hotel (Dave Schmidt,
Scranton PA, Musings of the Members, NRC DX News March 21 via DXLD)
Neglects to mention the date, Traditionally it is Labor Day weekend,
tho there has been talk of moving it earlier in August (gh, DXLD)
CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES / PROPAGATION
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++
SPACE WEATHER WEEK 2005
The Space Weather Week conference this year will take place April 5-8,
2005, just outside of Boulder at the Renaissance Suites in Broomfield,
Colorado. The conference will cover several interesting areas
including space exploration and necessary space weather support; the
radiation environment near Earth; problems with navigation,
communication, and ground-induced currents; airline issues; agency
activities; research models and data; and weather-space weather
connections. We anticipate that representatives from industries
affected by space weather will attend as well as vendors serving those
industries. Researchers and funders of research will be eager
participants as well. While Space Weather Week starts on Tuesday
morning, there will be a few meetings on Sunday and Monday, April 3-4,
2005. . . http://www.sec.noaa.gov/user_notes/UN47.html#sww
(SEC User Notes Jan via DXLD) ###